A criminal caught looting during the February Oroville Dam crisis evacuation of 185,000 residents was sentenced to potential life in prison Wednesday.

Butte County Superior Court Judge Tamara Mosbarger sentenced habitual felon John Beebe Jr., age 39, to 25 years to life in state prison, plus an additional five-year term, after he pleaded no contest to a felony first-degree residential burglary.

With a 25-year criminal rap sheet that began at age 14, and which has included convictions for 15 felonies, seven misdemeanors, and one infraction, that Beebe had already had several sentencing enhancements related to prior felony convictions under California’s three-strikes law, Judge Mosbarger noted.

the Butte County District Attorney’s Office alleged that Beebe had been arrested after looting a home between Feb. 12-14 during the mandatory evacuation issued by the Butte County Sheriff.

But Deputy Butte County District Attorney Jessica Miller said that her office has set a policy to seek the most severe punishments under the law for all looters and vandals that took advantage of the life-threatening Oroville Dam crisis.